Single guideline system

ABSTRACT

THE DISCLOSED SYSTEM FOR EMPLACING EQUIPMENT UNDER WATER EMPLOYS THE COMBINATION OF AN ORIENTING BUSHING MOUNTED ON A GUIDE SLEEVE THAT IS ADAPTED TO TRAVEL DOWN A FLEXIBLE GUIDELINE AND WHICH COOPERATES WITH A GUIDE KEY MOUNTED ON A GUIDE PIN THAT IS FIXEDLY POSITIONED TO ONE SIDE OF A CONNECTOR ON A SUBSQUEOUS BOTTOM MOUNTED STRUCTURE. THE RELATIVELY COARSE ADJUSTMENT PROVIDED BY THE ORIENTING BUSHING ENABLES THE USE OF A FINE ADJUSTMENT THAT IS ACHIEVED BY A RADIAL CYLINDRICAL EXTENSION FITTING INTO AN UPWARDLY TAPERED SLOT THAT IS FIXEDLY POSITIONED ON THE BOTTOM STRUCTURE AT A KNOWN ORIENTATION RELATIVE TO THE BOTTOM CONNECTOR AND TO THE BOTTOM GUIDE PIN. AS STRUCTURE TO BE CONNECTED AT THE BOTTOM IS LOWERED INTO POSITION THE ORIENTING BUSHING OPERATES FIRST TO PRODUCE A COARSE ORIENTATION WHICH THEN ALLOWS MATING OF THE RADIAL EXTENSION AND TAPERED SLOT TO PROVIDE A FINE ADJUSTMENT OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT IS TO BE EMPLACED.

Unitea States Patent 3,605,884 SINGLE GIIIDELINE SYSTEM vvalfef Bfovvn, Long Beach, Clif., assignof fo l`Toffh AInefican RockWeH Cofpofation Eiled June 25, 1969, Sef. No. 83o,37Z Inf. CL EZ1b /0 Uls. CL 16o.s 12 ClaimS ABSTRACT oE THE DISCLoSURE The discIosed SyStem fof emplacing equipment undef Watef enlploys the cofnbination of an ofienting bllSfling fnounted on a guide sleeve that is adapted to tfavel down a nexible guideline and Which coopefateS With a guide key Ino11nted on a guide pin that iS fixedly p()Sitioned to one side of a connectof on a snbaqueouS bottom fnoI1nted Stfuctufe. The felatively coafSe adiUStment pfovided by the ofienting bUShing enableS the USe of a fine adiuStment that is achieved by a fadial cyHndfical eXtension fitting into an upvvafdly tapefed Slof that iS fixedly poSitioned on the bottofn stfuctUfe at a known ofientation felative to the bottofn connectof and to the botton1 guide pin. As stfuctufe to be connected at the botton1 iS 1ovefed i1to position the ofienting buShing opefates fifSt to pfoduce a coafse ofientation vvhich then anowS fIlating of the fadial extenSion and tapefed slot to pfovide a fine adjustInent of the equipment that iS to be emplaced.

BACKGROUND oF THE INVENTION AS undefWatef WeHS afe dfiIled and opefated to pfo duce nuidS in deepef Watef mofe and nlofe of the opefat ing eqnipfnent is placed upon the botton1. Such equip ITleflt, becauSe of felative dincuIty of acceSS, becofnes evef fI1ofe se1fSuicient and inhefently Inofe cofflpleX. EInplacefnent and aSSen1bly of equipfnent accofdingly entailS gfeatef effofts and foblems felated to aSSembly afe of incfeaSing Significance. AInong the n1ost succeSSful pfopoSalS fof caffying out dfilling and pfodncing opefa tionS ffon1 Sllfface facilities iS the USe of sobSufface Stfuctufes poSitioned on the subaqueous bottoIn and the con nection of Such Stf11ctI1fes to the noating facility by one of fnofe guidelineS that enable eInplacen1ent of the neC eSSafy toolS and equipn1ent to and ffoff1 the Hoating facil ity. It is common to employ two of mofe of Such gUide lines and to Secufe equipment to be emplaced to Sevefal of theSe dufing itS tfanspoft to the Subsufface stfuCtufe in ofdef to fnaintain position and ofientation. fIovvevef. When opefations afe feqUifed in deep Watef, on the ofdef of l,000 to Z,000 feet depth of fnofe, Sevefe pfobleInS afe encountefed vvith fegafd to the fouHng of plnfal guide- 1ineS In vvatef depths of sevefal thousand feet of fnofe iieXible guideline cableS, and even dfill Stfing that fflay be eInployed as guidelineS, Win eXpefience Such lafge eX- CufSions that entanglefnent of cloSely adjacent lines is a maiof pfoblem.

This pfoblem of plufal guideHnes in deep watef is fec ognized in the patent to BOWef et aL fof UndefWatef DfiHing Guide, No. 2,984,308, Which teaches I1se of a single gUideline eXtending ffom the boftofn to the sufface facility and fofnled vvith a key that eXtends fof the fuH length of the guidelioe. A S1idable aSSefnbly, SHdable on the gllidJeline, has a keyway nlating vvith the key and is affanged to caffy nefnbefs and equipnlent adapted to be emplaced on the bottofn of the body of Watef. In addition, fegiStefing nleanS in the fofm of a tapefed Slot and pin afe pfovided adjacent the guideline fof effecting fegistfation of ofientation of the equipn1ent illst befofe it iS efnplaced on the bottofn. opefation of the single guide 1ine syStefn of Bowef et aL is wholly dependent u on fnaintaining at leaSt a pfeliIninafy of a coafse ofientation of the slidable aSSen1bly on the g11ideline. In this affangefnent it iS esSential to nlaintain coafSe ofientation of the guideline itself dufing the Inajof poftion of the tfavefSe of the slidable aSSembly ffom the sufface towafd the bottoIn. It vvill be feadily appfeciated that if Such coafSe ofientation is not n1aintained, the pin on the fegistefing Ineans fI1ay not be positioned so aS to even entef the tapefed slot that is located on the bottom adiacent the guide n1eanS. In an atteInpt to solve this pfoblem of coafse ofientation, the patenteeS have pfovided the key and keyway eXtending the fuH length of the guideHne; neveftheleSS, thiS affangen1ent, althoUgh it WiH lifI1it felative fota tion of the guideline and the aSsefflbly Slidably guided thefeon, vvill in no way elinlinate of fninimize tfle fof- Sional displacefflent of the guideline itSelf. Fof a guideline having a length of L000 to Z,000 feet of n1ofe, even tvvelve inch diafnetef pipe vvnl be Subiect to lafge tofsional diSplaceInents. ACcofdingly it vvill be appafent that if fofces acting U on the SHdable guide fnen1bef and equip nlent caffied thefeby dUfing the deScent Shonld have any significant hofizontal coInponents, Sevefe tvVisting of the entife asSefnbly, including the gIlideline itseIf, that iS being lowefed may take place and thefe fnay be no poS Sibility of achieving the fegistfation of the two auxiHafy ofienting elements, the pin and slof Fuftheffnofe, Such tWisting wiH tend to lock the key Within tlle keyWay and thuS pfevent fIlfthef deScent.

vvith an affangement Such as shown by the patentees Bovvef et aL, ShoUld thefe occuf a veftical fofce acting Upon the eqUipn1ent caffied by the sliding guide fneInbef which is fadiaHy displaced ffom the axiS of the gnide 1ine, thefe Vvill be a tofSiona1 fofce exefted Upon the slid ing guide fnefflbef tending to fotate it about an axis nof mal to the aXis of the guide mefnbef and thuS cauSe the Slidable Inen1bef to be locked upon itS guide.

Still anothef diHicUlty vvith the SyStefn of Bowef afiseS ffofn the fact that dfin pipe noffflaHy cofneS in lengthS about fofty feet vvhich afe scfevved togethef as the pipe iS lowefed. conSidefable diffic111ty Would afise if1 atteInpts to Scfevvconnect two adiacent pieceS of pipe keyed as snggeSted by Bovvef becallSe it iS neceSSafy to n1aintain aHgnment of the keys on theSe two Sections. Dfill ipe, aS is WeH known, fequifes a Specialized suffaCe facility, a dfiHing fig, fof itS eInplaceInent. It iS pfefefable to enable en1placenlent of eqllipfnent vvith a vafiety of iiffefent typeS of sufface facilities.

BRIEF SUMMARY oF THE INVENTION In caffying out the pfinciples of this invention in ac cofdance vvith a pfefeffed en1bodin1ent thefeof, alignfflent appafatuS is pfovided vvhefein flfSt and second movable nlefnbefs afe edly Secufed t() each othef and affanged to move in Unison towafd and into engageInent vvith a paif of fXed membefs. As the membefS move towafd engageInent, one of the movable fnembefS coopefates With one of the felatively fixed InefnbefS to achieve a coafSe ofientation of the membefS felative to each othef. Aftef the coafSe ofientation has been achjeved the othef ff1efn befS coopefate to achieve a fine ofientafion. In one embodiInent the IIlefnbef that is to be connected and ofiented is caffied by the fflovable fnen1befS in such a Inannef that it can expefience a limited an1ount of fotation about an aXiS SubStantially noff1al to the difection of the fnove fnent of the membefs towafd each othef.

A pfefeffed eInbodiInent of the invention includes an affangement Whefein a guide element that eXtendS ffom a subSufface Stfuctufe fo a Sufface facility, a movable nlen1bef that is SHdably nlounted on the guide elefnenf, and a guide nleIflbef iixedly fI1ounted to a bottofn stfuctufe al-ea, all afe coaxial vvith each othef and the two fnen1befS afe pfovided vvith fI1I1tIlally coopefating fneans that o efate aS the fI1ovable nlenbef ffloveS to a lovvef cenfefline of the guide pin and the centefline of the con nectof. If deeIned neceSSafy of desifable a SiInilaf pivoting and bungee affangement may be employed, eithef inStead of of togethef vvith, the lin1ited piVotal affange ment iHustfated in the dfaWingS. ThuS, Whefe deemed neceSSafy of desifable, felative fotation of Connectof and the guide Sleeve 46 about two InutuaHy angnIated aXeS fathef than iuSt the one illuStfated nay be eInployed- Befofe the connectof haS actually feached itS position adiacent the Stfingef 26 bnt aftef the cofnpletion of the fough ofientation pfoVided by the ofienting buShing and key slot, the fadial guide cyHndef has been positioned angulafly by the coafSe ofientation vvithin the latefal eX tent, vvhich fnay be about ten incheS as pfeViously de Scfibed, of the uppef poftion of the tapefed Slot in Slot plate 40. Thus upon fufthef deScent of the aSSefnbly, the coafSe ofientation has aSSufed that the guide cylindef WiH engage the Slot in plate 40 and thefeby pfovide the fine adiustnTent of angulaf ofientation of fhe aSSenlbly Vvhich then roceeds to com lete its downwafd motion to achive the final engagenent of collet connectof and Stfingef.

The aSSenTbly pfocedufe deScfibed in connectiof1 vvith guide Sleeve 46, guide cylindef 48, and Connectof 28 iS then fepeated with guide sleeve 64, centefing device, con nectof 32, and lovvef paft of hydfanHc contfol pod 36 and g11ide cylindef 49, This asSen1bly too is efnplaced upon the guideHne 44 at the sufface facility. The asSeff1bly is lovVefed, the coafSe ofientation occufs aS the helical sufface of the buShing engageS the uppef poftion of the key to enSufe that the guide cylindef 49 iS captufed by the upvvafdly tapefed slot 60, 62 Which then aChioveS the fine adiuStfnent, AS fhe uppef poftion of the guide SleeveS 46, 64 afe lowefed towafd the top of the gUide pin 38, the plug-in poftion 42 engages the hub 116 of the ffangible centefing device to bfeak thiS device vVhich then becomes diSplaced ffom the gllide Sleeve to enable the Succeeding of next uppef guide sleeve to feSt upon the lowef guide sleeve as illI1stfafed in FIG. 4.

Aftefthe second of the tvvo collet connectofS iS IovVered and eInplaced, the thifd guide Sleeve 66 iS fitted to the guidenne 44 togethef with the uppef paft 34 of the hydfauHc contfol pod caffied thefeby, Those afe then lowefed a1ong the guideline until the one of both of helical ofienting sI1ffaceS 88, 89 engages the uppef Cafn- 1T1ing suffaceS of the key 86 to achieve the deSifed ofienfa fion of the uppef paft of the cofltfol pod In the pafticulaf affangefnent of equipfnent iHuStfated in the dfavVings (FIG. 1), the diStance of the contfof pod ffom the Centef line of the guide pin iS considefably leSS than the dfstance of the centefline of the connectof ffOIn the guide pin. Because of thiS Shoftef distance to the centefHne of the c()ntfol pod, actllal lineaf latefal diSplacefnent due to a given amount of angular Inisofientation about the aXis of the guide pin is considefably leSSy Accofdingly the coafSe angulaf adjuStn1ent achieved by the ofienfing buSh ing iS considefed to be sllfficient to effect the deSifed pfe ciSion of alignIflent of the tvo contfol podS.

Th pafticulaf asSembly pfocedllfe vvill, of coufSe, de pend upon the stage of vvell coInpletion and the natnfe of the opefationS that afe to be peffoffned. NoffnaHy, aftef dfilling haS been conlpleted, the well vviH be plugged by pfocedofes We11 known to those skiHed in the aft and then the dfilling ChfiStfnaS tfee stfucfufe will be fefI1oved. At this tifne the fifst valVing aSSefnbfy, Such as the lowef coHet connectof 28, Will be lowefed as deScfibed herein to enable Contfolled valving of Sealing of tho vVelL vVhen this has been accofnplished the vveH plllg iS fen1oved and subSequent aSSeInbly, including the conet connectof 32 and the hydfaUlic contfol podS, fnay be cofTlpleted.

Thefe has been deScfibed a novef Single g11ideline en1 placeInent SyStem efnploying the conbination of an ofienting bushing incUdfng a guide pin Wfth key, a guide Sleeve with an intefnal offenting bUShing having a key Slot and helical cafIln1ing face on each Side thefeof, togethef with a. guide pin located to one Side of a conneCtof- Thefe iS aISo pfovided a fine adjustn1ent cofnpfising a fadial guide cylindef fitting into a tapefed Slot plate on the othef side of the connectof, all affanged so that in the coufSe of lowefing the aSSembly the ofienting bushing wiH opefate fifSt to pfoduce a fough ofientation vvhich then enableS tho fine adiuStn1ent of fina1 ofientatfon to be aChieved by the fadial guide cyHndef and slot plate. Te deScfibed affangement is of unique vallle With lafge diInenSion whefein the guide InuSt be loCated at a lafge distance ffon1 the connectof centefline becauSe of the Size of the connectof. In addition fof opefation in nTuddy Watef of watef with Significant aInountS of debfis, Cleafance betvVeen in and bushing and betvVeen key and keyway Inust be kept lafge whefeby additional connectof n1iSalignInent fnay occuf. The deScfibed affangefnent a1So fflakeS pfoviSion fof aHowing felative Inotion of the conneCtof and the guide affangement While at the same time holding apPfoxifnate veftical posifion of the guide Sleeves and Connecfof by bungee, thus affofding an additional featufe to ovefcoIne still anothef pfobleIn due lafgely to the lafge distance betWeen guide Sleeve and load centefline.

What iS claimed is:

1, AlinIf1ent appafatus conlpfising= fifSt, Second, and thifd felatively 0Xed nefnbefs;

fifSt, Second, and thifd ffovable InefnbefS fixedly SecUfed to each othef and adapted to Inove in uniSon ffom a fifst p()sition feInote ffoIn the ffxed IneInbefs towafd and into a Second poSition in engagefnent vith fe spective ones of Said fixed IIlefflbefS;

Said fSt Inen1befS having IT111ttlally coopefating IneanS fof causing a coafSe ofientation of said n1ovable membefS felative to the fiXed neInbefs;

Said Second nleInbefs having fnf1tI1ally coopefation fneanS fof causing a ne ofientation of Said n1ovable IneII1befs felative to the ffXed IneInbefS;

Said coopefating fTleans of Said Second n1efnbefs being diSplaced felative to the coopefating fneans of said fifst n1efnbefS along the difection of Said InoveInent tovvafd each othef, So that the coopefating fneanS of Said fifSt nlenlbefS Inakes the coafse ofientation befofe Said fine ofientation iS Inade by Said second membefS; and

Said thifd Inen1befS having InutuaHy coopefation fneanS WhiCh fflake engagefnent aftef Said nne ofienfation haS been nlade,

2. Alignn1ent ap afatus cofnpfiSing= fifSt and Second felatively xed fnen1befS;

fSt and second Inovable fnembefS fiXedly Secufed fo each othef and adapted to fnove in unison ffon1 a fifst position fen1ote ffom the fixed Inen1befS tovvafd and into a second 1)()Sition in engagefnent vvith said fiXed Inembefs;

Said fifSt fnen1befS having n111tflaflly coopefating nleanS fof causing a coafSe ofientation of said Inovable fflen1- befs felative to the fixed membefS;

said Second nleInbefs having nlutuaHy coopefating n1eanS fof causing a fine ofientation of said Inovable membefS felative to the Xed membefs,

IneanS fof connecting a II1efflbef to be ofiented to at leaSt one of Said felatively Inovable fnen1befs said coopefating fneanS of Said Second IneInbefS being diSplaced felative to fhe coopefating fneans of said fifSt InefnbefS along the difection of Said f1oven1ent towafd each othef, vvhefeby the coopefating n1eanS of Said fifst neInbefS cause said coafSe ofientation befofe Said nne ofientation is caUSed, and

Said laSt Inentioned meanS including nleans fof nlounting Said IneInbef to be ofiented fof pivotal Inotion felative to Said one n1ovable IleIT1bef about an aXiS that iS SubSfantially angulated With feSpect to the difection of Said movement of the membefs towafd each othef.

0. APpafatUS fof guidfng equipnTent ffon1 a facilify neaf the sufface of a body of watef to a Selected point on 75 a stfuctofe fixed faf belovv Said Sufface con1pfising= 12. An underwater uidin S stem coIn risin a guide pin HXed t a bottom StTucture and upStanding theTefrom;

a guideHne having a diameteT considerably leSS than the diametef of the pin Xed to and betWeen the uppeT end of the pin and a Hoating facility;

a guide sleeve Inounted on the guideHne fof InoveInent f oTn an uppef position neaf the Hoating facility to a 1()we1 position in Which the pin iS Teceived in and eXtends thTough the sleeve; and

guideline centefing Ineans on the sleeve coIn riSing:

a hUb having an aperture receiving the guideHne and a pluTality of arInS HXedly connecting the hub to the U er end of the Sleeve, at least one of Said hubS and Said aTnS being frangible, Whereby the centering meanS iS bToken aS the sleeve moves to said 10Wer position and the pin extendS therethrough int() en gagement With the hub.

leferences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS S/1961 Bauer et al 177 8/196Z Hayes 166.6 11/196Z Hayes 166.S 11/1965 POHafd et a1. 166.S 7/ 1967 Postlewaite 166j 3/1970 Dodd et aL 166j IAMES A. LEPPINK, PTiInary EXaminer 2,-984,308 3,OS0,140 3,062,287 3,215,ZoZ

IJ.S. CL X,R. 

